The Gift of Glasses

The elderly grey-haired gentleman slowly walked to the front of the line led by his grandson and using his cane.  His problem? He could not see.  In fact, he hadn’t been able to see for about 10 years.  This man was too poor to afford an eye exam fee plus the cost of new glasses.  This day, though, life was about to dramatically change for him.  A team of volunteer medical personnel from America had come to his African village.  This team consisted of some nurses, some doctors, a medical assistant or two, a couple of dentists, and an optician.  This grandfather got his eye exam…and a new pair of glasses.  Although his perscription called for a high strength of lenses, the so-called “pop bottle lenses” that are difficult to find, someone had donated a pair of glasses that exact strength to this medical team.  For the first time in 10 years, this gentleman walked away being able to see again.  And now, he carried his cane under his arm, and he led his grandson home.
What are the chances that someone by “accident” donated the exact high-strength prescription glasses this man needed?  While statistics show the improbability, I believe this was no accident but of divine design.  Stories like this can be repeated each time a volunteer medical team makes a trip to Africa. When you cannot afford basic medical care or if there are no doctors or clinics within walking distance, you learn to live with the medical problem. Many times, it is just a simple remedy requiring just a supply of antibiotics, a splint, an abcessed tooth removed, or a pair of glasses.  Yet even these simple remedies are not available.  Often, people wait in line all day just to receive an aspirin.
If you are interested in making a difference like this team, please contact us.  We are putting together a medical team to go to Malawi, Africa, this coming October.  We will be providing medical check-ups and care for orphans, elderly grandmothers, and the community. We also have some room for non-medical personnel to go with us.  Maybe you cannot go this year but you still want to help — we are taking donations for the medical supplies we need to take with us.  Get involved…and change a life.
TAGS: Africa, elderly, medical teams CATEGORIES: Rhonda